de aaetano



(No Model.)

S. DE GAETANO.

BALL RACK FOR POOL TABLES. No. 300,227. Patented June 10, 1884.

y I l M i min/asses: Iva 9705a]? NlTllD STEPHEN DE GAETANO, OF NE\V.YORK, N. Y.

BALL-RACK FOR POOL-TABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,227, dated June 10, 1884.

Application filed April 1, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom iii-may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN Dn Gnn'rnno, a citizen of Italy, and a resident of NewYork, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Racks for Pool-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide for pooltables alight and conveniently supported and portable ball-rack, from which the balls scored or pocketed by each player and placed on the rack-shelves may, after finishing the game, be rapidly set up on the pool-table ready to begin a new game, by simply carrying the rack, like atray, with the balls thereon, to the said table, and then by giving it a slight dip or inclination causing the balls to roll along and be discharged from the ends of all the shelves simultaneously into the pool-ball triangle placed in readiness to receive them. 7

The invention consists in a pool-rack having in one side thereof end openings for each shelf, and at the ends of the said open side oppositely-placed converging guides for discharging the balls from the rack within the width of the triangle; also, in the combination, with the rack, of an inclined support or bracket, and in the construction of the rack shelves and guides, as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved pool-ball rack and its supportingbracket in position for use as when playing. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, or as seen in the direction of arrowl of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section, on a largersca-le than any of the other figures, showing the rack in the same position as in Fig. 1, the section being taken on line a; x of Fig. 2. Fig. i is a plan view of the rack, showing it as when held horizontal in the proper position above the triangle to empty the balls into the said triangle by merely slightly inclining the rack toward the said triangle.

A is the rack, B its supporting-bracket, C the balls, and D the triangle. Thebracket consists of two side boards or pieces, B, whose front edges, 2), are placed at an inclination, as shown in Fig. 1, and are provided (at the lower end of the front edge) with a stop or shoulder, 16,

the side pieces, B, being kept at the required with the shelves longitudinal, as shown in the.

drawings.

A and A are the side pieces of the rack A. The back of the rack, instead of being one continuous board, as heretofore, is formed only of light rails a, fastened with their ends in the side boards, and arranged only in places where the balls when placed on the shelves inclined to it form contact with the back to support them. The shelves (instead of being boards filling with the same width as the side boards the space between them to the back, as heretofore.) are also made of light rails a, similar to the rails a, and are in like manner fastened to the front edge of the side boards in position about central between every twoadjacent rails a, and the width of the side boards is not greater than that portion of each ball which, when placed in the shelves, projects in the front beyond the front surface of the rack. The inclination is such that the perpendicular ff (see Fig. 3) drawn'through the balls center of gravity falls between the rear rail, a, and the front rail, a, nest below, or, in other words, a, a. support the ball at opposite sides of the said perpendicular. The said board A is cut away at the end of each shelf or compartment for the balls, the out being semicircular, as shown at a, and of proper size to allow the ball to roll unimpeded from the retaining-shelf and through the said opening, when it is desired to empty the rack. The side board A is not out out, but is so made as to afford a stop to retain the balls on the rack while the latter is in position upon the bracket; and in order to cause the balls, when on the bracket, to roll toward the side A, the distance it from the surface on which the bracket B is supported and to the rack on the shoulder b is shorter at the side board A than the corresponding distance, 7, at the side board A thus giving all the shelves of the rack a curved guides, E, which are provided with-a slight inclination toward the retaining side board, A. Atthe ends of the open side board A are placed, opposite to each other, two

rear guide edge or back, 6, and are cut out in circular form at thedelivery edge e, the distance between the said delivery edges being made to correspond to the width of the triangle D'in such a manner, as shown in Fig. 4, that when the rack, with the balls thereon, is carried over to the pool-table, there held in the position indicated in Fig. 4c, and the side A of the rack raised, the balls will all roll down into the said triangle, the balls in the outer shelves being guided by the aforesaid guides E into the triangle in the direction indicated by the arrows 2, and the balls in the inner or more centrally-located shelves will roll down, as indicated by the arrows 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure'by Letters Patent- 4 1. A pool-rack, A, having in one side thereof end openings for each shelf, and at the ends of the said open side oppositely-placed converging guides E, for discharging the balls directly from the rack within the width of the triangle, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with a portable poolrack, A, of a bracket, B, having shoulders I) and inclined front edges, b, for supporting the said rack, substantially as specified.

3. A pool-rack consisting of the ball-retaining side A, the ball releasing or discharging side A, having openings a cut therein at the end of each shelf, the shelves formed of rails to a, as specified, and the guides E, having guide-edges e and curved delivery edges 6, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in the presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of March, 1884:.

' STEPHEN DE GAETANO.

WVitnesses:

' R0121. W. Miirrnnws, A. W. ArMovIsr. 

